The CAE system numerically simulates characteristics or physical phenomena of the analyzing target, such as a circuit board assembly mounted with a plurality of parts, and an electronic apparatus formed by a plurality of parts, by numerical analysis. The characteristic of the analyzing target may include mechanical characteristics, electrical characteristics, thermal characteristics, and the like of the analyzing target. For example, a structural analysis of the analyzing target may include an analysis of mechanical characteristics, such as a strength of the analyzing target with respect to a load. When analyzing the entire analyzing target, three-dimensional surface models are created with respect to each of the parts, and a finite element model of each part is created from each of the three-dimensional surface models according to the FEM (Finite Element Method) or the like. Material characteristics and contact conditions or boundary conditions with respect to other parts may be specified with respect to the finite element model, in order to numerically analyze the finite element model. When the designed mechanical characteristics, such as the designed strength, cannot be obtained as a result of the numerical analysis, the finite element model may be modified or, the finite element model may be created over again, before making the numerical analysis again.
When segmenting (or dividing) regions of the three-dimensional surface model of the analyzing target into partial regions, that is, elements, an element identification number is assigned to each element and a geometrical shape of the element is represented by coordinate values of nodes. A node identification number within the element is assigned to the node. For example, a mesh generation method (or mesh method) may be used to segment the region of the three-dimensional surface model into the elements. The mesh generation method segments the region of the three-dimensional surface model into elements called meshes, and creates the finite element model called a mesh model. When creating the mesh model, the numerical analysis may take time when the total number of meshes is large. On the other hand, when the total number of meshes is small, it may be difficult to perform an accurate numerical analysis. Hence, an operator conventionally determines the total number of meshes manually, depending on an analyzing environment in which the numerical analysis is performed, such as the performance of the analyzing apparatus or the required analyzing speed. For example, when the total number of meshes is excessively large with respect to the analyzing environment, the operator performs an operation to manually reduce the total number of meshes with respect to the part that does not greatly affect the numerical analysis. In addition, when it is judged from the result of the numerical analysis that an appropriate numerical analysis cannot be performed because the total number of meshes is too small, the operator performs an operation to manually increase the total number of meshes.
In the conventional CAE system, the optimization of the total number of meshes of the mesh model depends on the manual operation of the operator who performs the manual operation based on experience and the like. Consequently, the time it takes to optimize the total number of meshes may differ greatly depending on the individual operator, and it is difficult to predict the analyzing time that will be required to analyze the analyzing target. Furthermore, because the total number of meshes of the analyzing target is also adjusted depending on the analyzing environment or the analysis result, it is difficult to predict the analyzing time that will be required to analyze the analyzing target, even in the case of a relatively experienced operator, particularly when the analyzing target has never been analyzed in the past. For this reason, it is difficult to efficiently analyze the analyzing target without being dependent on the operator.
Because the conventional CAE system cannot predict the total number of meshes of the mesh model that is appropriate for analyzing the characteristics of the analyzing target, the operator needs to manually regenerate the meshes or manually increase or decrease the number of meshes depending on the analyzing conditions or the like. As a result, the load on the operator increases, and it takes time to adjust the number of meshes.